Instructor Larry Benjamin, left, leads an Adirondack Folk School class in building a "Wee Lassie" canoe, the kind used by 19th-century explorer and journalist George Washington Sears. Students taking the class include, from left, Rand Condell, Joel Sperber and Mike Doyle.
(PAUL POST, ppost@saratogian.com)

LAKE LUZERNE -- Joel Sperber can't wait to start paddling the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail from Old Forge to Maine which passes through Canada along the way.

But first he's got to finish building his boat.

Sperber, a college English professor from Brooklyn, is one of a half-dozen people from all walks of life learning how to build a "Wee Lassie" canoe, the same kind used by famed late 19th-century journalist George Washington Sears, whose writings under the pen name "Nessmuk" inspired countless adventurers to explore the Adirondacks. The six-day course is one of the 200 classes that Adirondack Folk School is offering this year in all kinds of traditional arts and crafts.

"It's getting me back to when I was a teenager and spending time outdoors," Sperber said. "These are skills that would have been great to know when I was a kid. I know teaching and the instruction here is as good as I've ever seen. It's hands-on and they get us working as a group."

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Rand Condell of Hebron is building a canoe to take fishing.

The original "Wee Lassie" was built for Sears in 1863 by J. Henry Rushton of Canton, one of the most famous canoe builders of his era. The nickname comes from its size. Although 12 feet long, the vessel -- made of red cedar -- weighs just 20 pounds.

Sears was a small man -- 5 feet, 3 inches tall and 103 pounds -- with respiratory problems and needed a small boat that he could easily handle.

"It's nice and light," Condell said of the canoe. "It's easy to carry into ponds. When I'm done, I think I'm going to build one for each of my grandkids."

The canoe is designed for one person, sitting in the middle, using a doubled-bladed paddle -- similar to a kayak, but no deck. By taking other Folk School classes, students can also learn how to make a caned seat, paddle and Adirondack pack basket.

"All you need then is a sandwich, guide book and sunscreen and you're ready to explore the Adirondacks just like they did the early days," Adirondack Folk School Executive Director Jim Mandle said.

Sears (1821-1890) wrote for Forest and Stream magazine, and his 1894 book, "Woodcraft," is still in print. One of his most famous canoes, which is even smaller than the "Wee Lassie," was named "Sairy Gamp" after a Dickens character. He used it during a 266-mile trip through the Central Adirondacks.

The boat, owned by the Smithsonian Institution, is currently displayed at Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake.

Instructors Larry Benjamin and Mark Ornstein teach students how to build canoes using strips of red cedar that are glued into place. Each strip fits together using a "cove-and-bead" technique, similar to tongue-and-groove.

When finished, boats are given a shiny but tough fiberglass coating to protect them from hidden objects in streams and shallow lake bottoms.

"I've gone about 2,000 miles in mine," Ornstein said. "It's had its share of bumps."

The six days of classes are spread out over two weeks. Students got their basic structures in place this past week. Following a week off, finishing work will be done from July 12 to 14, so anyone interested in taking a future course is invited to come and watch during the final three days.